Venezuela opposition seeks army backing, leader to meet Biden

Venezuelan opposition leader seeks military recognition as commander-in-chief, backed by international support, amid political turmoil.

Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia called Sunday (January 6, 2025) for the military to recognize him as commander-in-chief, as he continued an international tour seeking to pressure President Nicolas Maduro to relinquish power.

Mr. Gonzalez Urrutia has been recognized by the United States, Italy and several Latin American nations as Venezuela's president-elect, despite Mr. Maduro being declared the official winner of the July 28 vote.

Having fled the country after being targeted with an arrest warrant, Mr. Gonzalez Urrutia has launched an international tour in the days leading up to January 10, when the next president is set to be sworn in.

After stops in Buenos Aires and Montevideo, he has headed next to Washington, where he will meet with President Joe Biden on Monday, a US source familiar with the planning told AFP.

The meeting was not on Mr. Biden's public schedule released Sunday, and it was also not clear if a winter storm headed toward Washington could impact the plans.

The 75-year-old former diplomat, who fled in exile to Spain in September, has pledged to return to his country to be sworn in.

In a video posted Sunday on X, Mr. Gonzalez Urrutia addressed Venezuela's army, telling them: "On January 10, by the sovereign will of the Venezuelan people, I must assume the role of commander-in-chief."